About A Musical Anthology of the Orient: India III
A Musical Anthology of the Orient: India III is a 12\" vinyl recording released under the Bärenreiter-Musicaphon label. The album features performances by Nasir Moinuddin Dagar, Nasir Aminuddin Dagar, Raja Chattrapati Singh and Suraiyā Dagar. The release date remains undocumented in available sources.
The album presents three tracks rooted in the Dhrupad tradition of Hindustani classical music. Nasir Moinuddin Dagar and Nasir Aminuddin Dagar perform Asāvar (Anaī Sunāī) Dhrupad, a composition set in the morning rāga Asāvar. The brothers also render Bhairavī (Jagata Jananī) Dhrupad, a devotional piece in the rāga Bhairavī, traditionally associated with the early morning or sunrise.
Raja Chattrapati Singh contributes a Dhamār Tāla performance, a rhythmic cycle linked to the Dhrupad repertoire and often employed in compositions praising Krishna or celebrating Holi. Suraiyā Dagar performs a Pakhāvaj Solo, showcasing the barrel-shaped drum integral to Dhrupad accompaniment. The solo highlights the instrument’s dynamic range and intricate stroke patterns.
The recording captures the Dagar brothers’ adherence to the Dagarbani style, characterized by sustained notes, gamak ornamentations and textual clarity in nāda (sound) exploration. Raja Chattrapati Singh’s Dhamār and Suraiyā Dagar’s Pakhāvaj segments emphasize the rhythmic and percussive dimensions of the tradition. The album’s liner notes or production credits are not fully accessible in public records, limiting details on session locations or engineering personnel.
As part of Bärenreiter-Musicaphon’s Musical Anthology of the Orient series, the release aligns with the label’s mid-20th-century efforts to document global classical traditions. The vinyl format reflects the era’s standard for archival and commercial distribution of world music recordings. No reissues or digital remasters of this specific volume have been confirmed in verifiable sources.